Washington whitewater - American River, Northern Cascade Range, Yakima County

Yakima county, American Forks to Sawmill Flat section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II+     5 miles
  The American Forks to Sawmill Flat stretch of American River is 5 miles long and is a class II+ section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. The nature scenery of Washington and the playfulness of the water have people coming here. Whitewater paddling here in the Northern Cascade Range is a great experience. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Getting some good exercise and spending some quality time in nature are great reasons to come. Whitewater
    rafting and kayaking spots in Washington tend to be more challenging than the national average, so keep in mind that rivers here are less forgiving. There are a few other sections in this river system that can be paddled as well. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking
this is an area with plenty of spots for that. This stretch is mid length, it's perfect for a one day trip. There's camping available near American River.

Briefly about the general area:
A spree to Horsetail Falls will fill your soul with good feelings, and the Quartz Creek Trail offers hiking at its best. This is such a fun river.
During the warmest time of the year here at American River, high temperatures ordinarily get into the 70's while night lows are regularly in the 40's. High temperatures during the winter are normally in the 30's
 
while American River nighttime low temperatures through the winter are in the 20's. American River is a wet place that gets much precipitation; through the month of January you get the most rain around here, and July is when it's the driest. So much exciting stuff in the Northern Cascade Range, just inspiring. Don't leave American River without first paying a visit to Willow Springs, and why not take a refreshing hike along the Kaner Flat Trail.

American River, American Forks to Sawmill Flat road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II+
Length: 5 miles
Average Gradient: 54 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 46.97792
Longitude: -121.16763

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 46.97547
Longitude: -121.09767

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Current weather conditions at American River, Northern Cascade Range, Washington
WXPort

Local climate location: GREENWATER 17 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum
14 miles away
Set on the sunny eastern slopes of the Cascades alongside the sparkling waters of the Cle Elum River and surrounded by pristine pine forest-Suncadia offers the ultimate luxury mountain resort experien...

Stewart Lodge, Cle Elum
16 miles away
The Stewart Lodge offers a wide range of rooms and amenities to make us your recreational or business spot all year around. Our rooms are exceptionally large and include unique pine furniture, microw...

Best Western Snowcap Lodge, Cle Elum
16 miles away
The contemporary Best Western Snowcap Lodge is centrally located on the eastern slopes of the cascade mountains. We are easily accessible from Interstate 90, just a short 90 minute drive from Seattle....



OTHER_INFO
  Northern Cascade Range Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Northern Cascade Range.

Northern Cascade Range Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Northern Cascade Range.

All Washington Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Washington.
Books about whitewater paddling on American River, Washington
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on American River, Washington.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Washington

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Ellensburg, Washington
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Ellensburg, Washington, the metro area neareast to American River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near American River.
 Whitewater Near American River:
Little Naches River, Yakima/Kittitas County , 3 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 9.5 miles long (Matthew Creek to Little Naches Campground)
American River, Yakima County , 6 miles away, Class III-IV - 4.7 miles long (Hell's Crossing to American Forks)
Bumping River, Yakima County , 7 miles away, Class II - 10.5 miles long (Bumping Reservoir to American River)
Rattlesnake Creek - Naches Tributary, Yakima County , 12 miles away, Class III - 7.7 miles long (North Fork to Nile Road Bridge)
Cle Elum River, Kittitas County , 13 miles away, Class II - 7.8 miles long (Cle Elum Dam to confluence with Yakima River)
American River, -blank- County , 14 miles away, Class II-III+ - 7.5 miles long (Lodgepole Campground to Hell's Crossing)
Tieton River, Yakima County , 16 miles away, Class III+ - 11.5 miles long (Rimrock Reservoir to Windy Point Campground)
Tieton River - South Fork, Yakima County , 18 miles away, Class IV(V+) - 5.7 miles long (Grey Creek Campground to Rimrock Lake)
Naches River, Yakima County , 19 miles away, Class II-III - 34 miles long (Sawmill Flat to bl. Town of Naches)
Cle Elum River, Kittitas County , 19 miles away, Class II - 4 miles long (Salmon La Sac Creek to Cle Elum Reservoir)
 Ski Areas Near American River:
Crystal Mountain, Washington , 24 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
White Pass, Washington , 24 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Snoqualmie, Washington , 28 miles away, 1100 vertical feet
Alpental, Washington , 30 miles away, 2280 vertical feet
Stephens Pass, Washington , 36 miles away, 1800 vertical feet
Mission Ridge, Washington , 53 miles away, 2200 vertical feet
Cooper Spur, Oregon , 81 miles away, 500 vertical feet
Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon , 86 miles away, 2777 vertical feet
Echo Valley, Washington , 87 miles away, 900 vertical feet
Timberline Lodge, Oregon , 87 miles away, 3590 vertical feet
 Hotels Near American River:
Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum , 14 miles away
Stewart Lodge, Cle Elum , 16 miles away
Best Western Snowcap Lodge, Cle Elum , 16 miles away
Best Western Lincoln Inn & Suites, Ellensburg , 40 miles away
Nites Inn Motel, Ellensburg , 41 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near American River:
Indian Flat Campground, Yakima County, 1 miles away
Kaner Flat Campground, Kittitas County, 2 miles away
Cedar Springs Campground, Yakima County, 2 miles away
 Trails Near American River:
Quartz Creek Trail, Kittitas County , 4 miles away, 6.6 hiking miles, 3413 feet elevation difference
Kaner Flat Trail, Kittitas County , 5 miles away, 7.3 hiking miles, 4400 feet elevation difference
Manastash Ridge Trail, Kittitas County , 5 miles away, 4.2 hiking miles, 798 feet elevation difference
Mount Cliffty Trail, Kittitas County , 6 miles away,  9.8 hiking miles, 3795 feet elevation difference
Fifes Ridge Trail, Yakima County , 6 miles away, 13 hiking miles, 4581 feet elevation difference
North Fork Taneum Trail, Kittitas County , 8 miles away,  18 hiking miles, 2630 feet elevation difference
Little Creek Basin Trail, Kittitas County , 8 miles away,  8.2 hiking miles, 1369 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near American River:
Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford - WA , 60 miles away

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater